Here’s how NJ’s inevitable cooldown and rain chances will play out

The Bottom Line

New Jersey's streak of unseasonable, summerlike, record-breaking warmth wraps up Thursday, with one more push toward 90 degrees. Skies will be mostly cloudy this time around, winds will be a bit lighter, and the Shore should benefit from a sea breeze keeping the coast a little bit cooler. Friday will be about 10 degrees cooler overall, but with highs still close to 80 degrees, it will still be a warm day. A few isolated showers are possible Friday, but those chances have dwindled. Saturday will be a fine April day, near 70 degrees. And then Sunday will bring a return of jackets and umbrellas, as periods of rain usher in temperatures in the 40s and 50s to close out the weekend.

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Weather Hazards

A popup shower or thunderstorm remains possible in this warm and humid air mass. And as a cold front arrives on Sunday, embedded rumbles of thunder are possible. However, widespread severe weather seems unlikely.

A widespread frost/freeze is likely for Monday and/or Tuesday morning for inland New Jersey.

Climatological Context

April 16th is the 106th day of 2026.

Normal high temperatures (long-term averages) at this point of the season are 63 to 64 degrees here in New Jersey. Normal lows range from 42 to 44 degrees.

While all three of New Jersey's climate reporting stations — Newark, Trenton, and Atlantic City — tied or broke high temperature records on Wednesday, that may not happen on Thursday as the historical records are slightly higher. (92, 91, and 89 respectively.)

April is, on average, New Jersey's 6th coolest, 4th driest, and 5th snowiest month of the year.

Thursday

If you have been enjoying the unseasonable warmth, you have one more opportunity to bask in the summerlike weather on Thursday.

Morning temperatures are in the 60s and 70s — humidity levels are manageable, but it is definitely a warm start to another very warm day. Highs will reach the upper 80s to around 90 degrees. Near-record highs for the third day in a row.

Skies will be mostly cloudy. And wind speeds will be lower than the past few days. That lighter land breeze is important, as it may allow for a more prominent sea breeze to kick in Thursday afternoon. That would cool down the Jersey Shore by at least a few degrees.

Thursday evening looks comfortably mild, with scattered clouds overhead. Low temperatures are forecast to drop into the mid 60s overnight.

Friday

Friday is a day of transition. It will not be as hot as the previous trio of days — but still looks quite warm and pleasant.

Expect a mix of sun and clouds, with highs in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees. That is about 10 degrees cooler than Thursday, but still way above normal for this time of year.

A few isolated showers may crop up during the day. But latest model guidance suggests they will be few and far between.

Saturday

Saturday's forecast reads like a pleasant mid-April day. The cooldown continues though, with 50s in the morning and highs around 70 degrees in the afternoon. There will be some variety to that number, with temps as cool as the mid 60s along the coast and as warm as the mid 70s to the southwest.

Saturday looks partly sunny and dry, with a light southeasterly (on-shore) breeze.

Sunday & Beyond

Sunday does not look like a nice day, as a strong cold front introduces widespread rain and an even sharper cooldown.

While we should hit a high temperature around 60 degrees early Sunday, thermometers will potentially fall into the 40s by the afternoon.

Meanwhile, periods of rain are expected from morning through at least mid-afternoon. Rainfall totals will be meager, around a quarter-inch to half-inch around the state.

The end result of this big transition will be a downright chilly start to next week, and a return to "jacket weather" for New Jersey. Monday morning lows will be in the 20s and 30s — a frost or freeze seems likely for the interior of the state. Highs will barely reach 50 degrees, way below normal for mid-April. Tuesday will be slightly better, in the mid 50s. And then we should see more seasonable 60s through the middle of the week, along with another chance of rain showers.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Follow him on Facebook for the latest forecast and realtime weather updates.